Apparatus for submarine geophysical prospecting



Aug. 19, 1941. B.v PEPPER v2,253,472

APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE GEOPHYSICAL PRSPECTING I Filed July 17, 1939 5 Sheet'sv-,Sheet 2 AONHZOO MSN l Stro/ww o M Z QU o .E B5 @G o um. w N v. s o QW NNNP @WM Q@ 52.5 .I ,55H4 o 9 o upNlmmmm. Ezmu h, o mm Mv@ m. Nh

All@ 19', 1941. T. B. PEPPER .2,253,472

APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE GEOPHYSICAL .PROSQPECTING I Filed July, 17, 1939jj 5 Sheng-snee; s

'Theodore- Ppjoe;

LEVEL 19, -1941 vT. B. PEPPERy 2,253,472

APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING Filed Ju1y'1'7. 1939 5 sheets-sheet 4 SWITCH Aug. 19, 1941. T. B. PEPPER 2,253,472

APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING Filed July 17, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Theodore Peppe/7;

Patented ug. 19, 1941 APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE GEOPHYSI- CAL PROSPECTING Theodore B. Pepper, Oakmont, Pa., assignor to Gulf Research & Development Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation oi' Delaware Application July 17, 1939,'seria1No. 284,980

(o1. zes- 1.4)

3 Claims.

This invention or discovery relates to apparatus for submarine geophysical prospecting; andj more particularly to apparatus for making gravity measurements on the floors of oceans, lakes and other bodies of water.

Geophysical prospecting procedures in which gravity measurements are utilized have largely -been restricted to dry land. It has been a desideratum to be able to conduct explorations in territory covered by shallow seas, as oill is known to occur in .the continental shelf of this and other continents. It is not in general feasible to carry out gravity measurements in boats or the like; the instruments require a solid footing. Attempts have been made `to provide expedients for carrying out gravity measurements in sha1- low seas, etc., involving use of platformV or sub-` mersible containers, but none has beenofA very general utility. The main difiiculties are in securing a really stable footing for the instrument,

particularly in the soft mud of lake bottom; and,

an even more serious problem, in providing for the extremely accurate leveling required for gravimetric devices. It is undesirable for various reasons to provide submarine vessels of a character enabling an operator to go below the surface with the instrument and -operate it directly. The instrument must be operated by remote control.

One object of the presentinvention is the provision of an apparatus for making geophysical measurements on the floors of bodies of water, comprising a submersible support arranged to rest firmly on a lake or ocean iioor,- means for supporting a gravimeter .or the like on the support for movement with respect thereto, -and means for positively moving the gravimeter to bring it to accurate level position.

Another object is the provision of' such an apparatus including means for actuating said leveling means by remote control from the surface and means for indicating the levelness of the gravimeter at the surface.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus including means for positively holding the support against movement, on the ocean floor, by differential hydraulic pressure.

Another object is the provision of such an apparatus including means for restraining movement of the gravimeter with respect to the support, while the support is being vlowered and raised, and arranged for causing movement of the gravimeter .to level position 'prior to carrying out measurements..

These andother objects are achieved by the provision of an apparatus including a submersible support, weighted sufficiently to sink in water, and adapted tosupport agravimeter or the like which is mountedso 'as to be capable of movement with respect to the support. Means are providedV on the support for moving the gravimeter to level position, prior to taking observations. A suitable level-sensitive control is provided so that the gravimeter can be set stationary in true level position for measurement. In some cases provision is made for actuating the leveling means fromthe surface, by remote control, in which case the level-sensitive control is arranged to indicate at the surface when the ,gravimeter reaches level position. Ina modification of the invention the leveling means are automatically actuated by the level-sensitive control which arrests the leveling operation when level position is reached; such modification being claimed inl my copending application, Serial No. 389,060, Illed April 17, 1941, for Apparatus for submarine geophysical prospecting. In all cases telemetric or automatic means are provided for clamping and unclamping the measuring instrumentl itself and for performing other functions necessary for making the actual gravity measurement.

The apparatus is ordinarily arranged to rest on the ocean bottom, but in apparatus for use in regions where there is considerable wave action, effective at the bottom, means are provided for holding the apparatus rmly against the bottom under differential hydraulic pressure; such means taking the form of a flexible skirt around the bottom of the apparatus and a suction pump within the apparatus for partially exhausting the space between the skirt and the ocean floor;

In the accompanying drawings there are shown, more or less -diagrammatically. several examples o f speciilc embodiments of apparatus 4within the purview of the invention. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a general schematic view of the apparatus in position on an ocean floor,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the submersible apparatus showing an embodiment in which the support includes a .hermetically closed casing partly broken away to reveal the interior,

Fig. 3 is a view in plan section taken along line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the two leveling means,

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along line 5-5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view in vertical section, with some parts shown in elevation, of one i'orm of level indicating means,

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view in elevation of a modiiied form of level indicating means,

Fig. 8 is a view in vertical section of the leakage indicating device, Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a gravimeter with self-leveling means to bring the instrument to approximate level,

Fig. 10 is a diagrammatic view, partly in vertil cal section and partly in elevation, of a hydraulic form of leveling device -arranged on an open base plate or support,

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic view oi' means for holding the casing to the bottom by suction, and

Fig. 12 isa diagrammatic view of a simplified form of the apparatus of Fig. 11.

Referring to the drawings and more particularly to Figs. 1 to 8, the-apparatus of the invention includes a water-tight submersible casing or chamber 20, having three tubular squat tripod legs 2| (only two show in the figures) Joined to each other by tubes 22 and socket members 23, and supporting the casing by tubular struts 24 arranged as shown. The casing is disposed low on the tripod framework as shown, for stability. Each leg terminates at a bracket 25 to which is fastened a large disk 26, perforated at 21 to relieve suction upon raising the apparatus so as to avoid sticking of the apparatus in mud bottoms. A prong 28 is provided for each disk, as shown, to anchor the tripod against lateral movement. The tripod and associated parts are advantageously of welded steel construction, with the parts of heavy enough material to aiord the requisite rigidity and weight.

At the top o! the casing is a detachable cover 35 giving access to the interior through manhole 35 and having an eyebolt 31 for connection of a cable 38 whereby the apparatus can be raised and lowered. The apparatus is operated from a ship 39, the derrick 40 of which vis utilized for raising and lowering the casing. A multiwire electrical cable 4|, insulated against sea water, leads from cover 55 to indicating and control apparatus 42 on the ships deck. 1n operation of the apparatus cables 38 and 4| are paid out until sans several fathoms thereof lie on the ocean door, so y that the apparatus will not be disturbed by movement of the cables or the ship.

Within the casing is a gravimeter housing 45 of known type (see for example Hoyt U. S. Patent 2,131,737) and of generally cylindrical shape as shown. The gravimeter itself is of known construction and is not shown. Other gravimeters besides that of the Hoyt patent can, of course, be employed. The gravimeter housing is supported for movement with respect to the watertight casing 2|), by positively actuated gimbals including a gimbal ring 46 encircling the gravimeter housing and pivotally attached thereto, along one diameter 41 thereof, as indicated at 48. The ring in turn is pivotally attached to an outer stationary ring 49, by means of a pivot pin engaging the ring 49 and a protruding bracket 5| on the gimbal ring, and an opposite pivot pin 50. Pivot pins 50 lie along a diameter 52 at right angles to diameter 41 and intersecting diameter 41 at central point 53. Thus the gravimeter housing is free to swing in all directions about point 53 as center. Center 53 is near the center of gravity of the instrument housing so that a minimum strain is put on the leveling mechanisms.

Means are provided for positively leveling' the gravimeter housing with respect to the casing 20,

and for indicating, on the ship, when level position is attained. Movement of the housing about dlametral axis 52 is achieved by a threaded rod 54, pivotally attached to a clevis 55 iixed to the gimbal ring 46, and movable up and down by a motor 56 through the agency oi' a nut block 51 pivotally attached at 53 to a clevis 59 on outer ring 49. Block 51 contains a nut 80 carrying a worm wheel 6| and `mounted for rotation in the block by 4antifriction bearings 82. The worm wheel is driven by a worm 53 on a shaft 54, connected to motor 56 by a ilexible shaft 55. Thus, on operation of the motor 55 in the appropriate directions, threaded rod 54 is raised and lowered and gravimeter housing 45 is rocked about axis 52.

Movement of the gravimeter housing about axis 41 is achieved by another motor-driven nut assemblage Asimilar to that described. Thus, on another side of the housing, a nut block 51 operated by a motor 355 is pivoted at 10 to bracket 5|, and the lower end of its threaded rod 54 is pivoted to a clevis 1| attached to the gravixneter housing. The two motor-driven adjusting means are similar in construction. The motor 358, arranged to rotate the housing about axis 41, is supplied by leads 13 and the other motor 59 is supplied by leads '12. Each motor is operable independently from the ship by means hereinafter described.

A pair of telemetric levels 15 and 16 is provided, attached to the gravlmeter housing parallel to axes 52 and 41 respectively. Fig. 6 shows one of the levels in detail. A sensitive level vial 11 ls provided having an elongated bubble 18, arranged below a pair of slits 19 and B0 behind which are two photoelectric cells 8| and 82, advantageously of the well-known barrier-layer type as shown, connected electrically in opposition and to a galvanometer 84 on the control board (Fig. 2), by a lead 83. Ground forms the return circuit between the galvanometer and the level. The other level 16 has a corresponding lead 85 (Fig. 2) delivering to a galvanometer 9|. A lamp 86 is arranged to direct light, through a lens 81 and thence up through the level vial and the slits by means of a mirror 88 thinly silvered so as to reect and transmit an equal amount of light, and a totally reflecting prism 89, all arranged as shown. When the bubble 18 'is exactly centered the output of the cells cancels and the gal'vanometer reads zero. The teleme'tric level is thus of the null-indicating type. Movement of-the bubble from level position changes the relative proportion of light reaching the twoy cells and thegalvanometer reads plus or minus.

Fig. 7 shows a modified form of leveling means, of the inverted pendulum type. As shown, a rodlike pendulum is mounted by a piece of thin clock spring 96 on the gravimeter housing 45. A small concave mirror 91 is aixed to the upper partof the pendulum and is arranged to focus light from a lamp 98 on to the edge 94 of a pair ofA ll-degree reflecting prisms 99 opposed by a pairy of photocells |00 and |0| interconnected and delivering to galvanometer 9| through a lead 85, as in Fig. 2. These cells are connected similarly to cells 8| and 82 of Fig. 6 and play a simllar function. When the pendulum is vertical the galvanometer readsl zero. Movement of the pendulum from level causes light to be directed to one cell or the other, with a corresponding plus or minus reading 0n the galvanometer. A nonmagnetic metal damping vane |02 is fitted to the top of the pendulum and moves in the gap of a permanent horseshoe magnet |03, to restrain vibration of the pendulum. Elements 98 to |03 are attached to the housing by suitable supports,

omitted from the drawing for the sake of clarity of presentation. Two of the pendulum level-indicating devices are provided in practice, arranged at right angles asin the case of the bubble levels of Fig. 6.

Referring to Fig. 8, a leakage indicator is provided for the casing 20, comprising an electrode |04 supported by a perforate insulating disk |05 above a small sump |05 in the bottom of casing 20, and connected by a lead |01 with a lamp |08 .on the control board (as described below) so that upon collection of bilge water in the sump the light flashes on. The sump capacity should be sufficiently large so that moisture condensed on the casing walls when the apparatus is lowered into cold water will not set off the signal.

The recording system includes a lamp housing |09 (corresponding to element 92 of the acknowledged Hoyt patent) and a recording camera ||0 which takes the place of the eyepiece |00 of the Hoyt patent gravimeter. Lamp |09 is supplied by leads and ||2 connected to a battery ||3 on the control board, through a switch ||4. Means for clamping and unclamping the gravimeter proper are provided, including a reversible motor driving, through a worm gear |2|, a shaft |23 leading to the clamping mechanism (not shown). Sha-ft |23 corresponds to shaft |23 of the Hoyt patent. Wires |24 lead from the motor to a reversing switch |25 and a battery |25 on the control board. By manipulating the switch the gravimeter proper is clamped and unclamped.

The control board.(Fig. 2) includes a pair of double-pole-double-throw motor switches, |5 and ||5, arranged in parallel with battery ||3 as shown'by leads |1 and ||8. Motor leads 12 and 13 are connected to the two switches as shown, and the battery is connected across the leads I1 and I8.

In operation, the casing is lowered to the sea bottom by line 38, and sumcient lengths of line 38 and cable 4| are then paid out to leave plenty of slack. The lower few fathoms of line and cable. should rest on the ocean bottom. Then the gravimeter housing is leveled by manipulation of motor switches ||5 and ||5, which control motors 55 and 355. Level is indicated by galvanometers 84 and 9|. When level is attained, the instrument is unclamped (switch |25) and time is allowed for stable conditions to be reached. The camera continuously recordsI the gravimeter indication. After a suitable lapse of time (a few minutes) the instrument is clamped' (switch |25) and the casing raised to the surface; or the casing canbe shifted to a new position without raising it to the surface. l

It is sometimes convenient to provide automatic leveling means, embodied in the casing 20, so as to simplify operations. Fig. 9 shows one good positive self-leveling arrangement. The gravimeter housing 45 is tted with two brackets (only one shows in the drawings) having fixed thereto shafts |3| and |32 rotatably, mounted in a gimbal ring |33 which in turn has two shafts |34 and |35 rotatably mounted in a ring |35 similar to ring 49 of Fig. 2. Shaft |32 carries a worm wheel |31 driven through a worm |4|, a shaft |38 and speed reducer |39, by a reversiblev motor |40. Shaft |35 has a similar worm wheel |42 driven by worm |43, shaft.|44, speed reducer |45 and a reversible'motor |45. A pair of conductive pendulums |41 and |48 are suspended from the gravimeter housing by clock springs |49, for oscillation in the directions of the two axes of the gimbals.

Each pendulum opposes a pair of contacts |50 and |5| and |52 and |53, respectively, ilxed to the housing. The pendulums are adapted to energize the motors by an electrical circuit including two polarized relays |54 and |55, the coils of which are connected in'series with the pendulum supports as shown, by leads |55, |51 and |58. The fixed contacts |59 and |50, |5| and |52; respectively, of the relays are connected to pendulum contacts |50, |5|, |52 and |53, by leads |53, |54, |55 and |55. The armature |51 of relay |54 is connected at |58 to one side of motor |40 and the other side of this motor is connected to lead |51, by a lead |59, and thence to one side of a battery |10, by a lead |1| and time switch |0|. The other side of the battery is connected to relay contacts |59 and |5| by leads |12 and |13. Armature |14 of relay |55 is connected to one side of motor |45, by a lead |15, the outer side of the motor being connected by a lead |29 to lead |1| at |15. A second battery |18 -is connected to relay contacts |50 and |52, byA leads |11, |19 and |80. A time switch |8| is connected between point |16 and batteries |10 and |18 to energize the electrical circuit after a predetermined length of time.

In operation, the apparatus is lowered to the ocean floor. In due course the time switch closes. If the gravimeter housing is off level, as it almost always is,v one of or both the pendulums |41 and |48 will be resting against a contact (|50, |5|, |52 and |53). This completes a circuit through the appropriate motor |40 or |45 to drive the housing into level position. For example: assiuning pendulum |41 to be resting against contact |50, a circuit is completed through hinge |49, lead |55, the coil of relay |54, lead |1|, battery |10, lead |12 and lead |53, thereby energizingthe relay coil and moving armature |51 to the left. In this position the armature closes a circuit through motor |40, lead |58, the armature (|51), lead |12, battery |10, lead |1| and lead |59, thereby causing the motor to swing the housing clockwise. When pendulum |41 is free of contact |50 the motor circuit is broken.

The pendulums are best made as long as convenient, say two feet or longer. vA 2-foot pendulum can be made to indicate slightly less than 10 seconds leveling error if the contacts |50 and |5| lare placed 0.001 inchy on each side of the pendulum at the level position. It is advisable to provide a dash pot or equivalent damping means to restrain vibration of the pendulum.

To avoid the possibility of hunting, 'that is to say successive overshooting of the level position, it is best to have motors |40 and |45 stop abruptly when the level position is reached. This is accomplished by employing a motor with light rotating parts, and a considerable gear reduction. `It is also helpful to have the motors accelerate gradually. This can best be done by employing an interrupter to supply voltage to the motors for only a fraction of the total time. This is better than reducing the applied voltage because motor operation isuncertain when the voltage is reduced too low. Another desirable refinement is to t gears |42 and |31 rather loosely on their corresponding shafts |35 and |32,

for friction drive so that only a fraction of the motor torque is transmittable to the shaft. This force limiting means allows the gravimeter housing to 'come very close to level position by ordinary gimbal eilect. 'I'he shafts simply rotate ment of the invention in which the instrument housing is not encased by the submersible support and in which hydraulic means is employed to restrain movement of the instrument with respect to the support during raising and lower- 23| extending through `the casing. A check valve 232 is iitted in the-pump outlet as shown.' The four port valve is operable by gearing 233' ing thereof and to level the instrument when the support is at rest on the ocean iloor.. The

instrument housing 45 is mounted ona base |5| of a submersible support, on a ball-headed standard |53 engaging a spherical seat |52 in the housing base. A pair of hydraulic struts is provided along one diameter of the housing, each including a cylinder |54 pivoted at |56 to the gravimeter housing base, and a piston |51 pivoted to a clevis |55 iixed to the base of the support. A similar pair of struts is provided along a diameter at right angles to the plane of the drawings; this pair of struts being omitted for the sake of clarity. A gear pump |60 is provided for each pair of struts, and is connected by tubes |59 with the cylinders. An air reservoir |6| with an air valve |62 for adjustment of the air pressure, forms a compensation means for the varying amounts of liquid in the struts and tubes. The geared pumps are driven by motors |63 and 263 which take the place of motors |46 and |40 in Fig. 9 and which are operated in the same manner, through leads |68 and |69, and |29 and (of Fig. 9). Or, motors |63 and 263 can take the place of motors 56 and 356 in the remote-controlled embodiment of the invention, Fig. 2, when it is desired to utilize these hydraulic leveling means in lieu of the mechanical leveling means shown in Fig. 2. The tubing and cylinders in practice are lill-ed with oil or other suitable liquid, not shown. The motors, leads, and other Working parts are of suitable waterproof construction. e

In the embodiment of Fig. 10 the instrument and a reversible motor 234 having power supply leads 235 running up through cable 4|' (not shown in Fig. 11) to the ship. Motor 228 has leads 236 also extending to the ship.

In operation, when the casing reaches bottom, motor 228 is operated, with valve 229 in the position shown, to exhaust the space enclosed by the rubber skirt whereupon the casing is held very tightly to the bottom under hydrostatic pressure. Check valve 232 holds the suction when the motor is stopped. To release the i suction, valve 229 is turned to its'other position and motor 228 is operated again.

Fig. 12 shows a simpliiied apparatus for achieving the same result as in Fig. 11. Pump 221 'has its intake connected directly with the housing is hermetically sealed and the levell indicating mechanism, camera and other associated parts are enclosed within the housing 45. This embodiment has the advantage that the sealed casing associated with the instrument f support can be dispensed with, thus providinga rents due to tidal or other effects, and in underwater surveying apparatus for use inA such places, I rlnd it advantageous to provide means for positively holding the submersible casing against the bottom under differential pressure. Referring to Fig. 11, the submersible casing 220 is provided with a ilaring base 22| having shortl feet 222, and a rubber apron or. skirt 223 is provided around the ,bases as shown, to act as an enormous suction cup or sucker. Weights 224 hold the apron against the bottom 244. Casing .220 has a bulkhead 225 dening a lower space 226 separate irom'the gravimeter chamber. A centrifugal pump 221 driven by a motor 228 is connected through a four-port valve 229 with a conduit 230 opening below base 22|, and a conduit space below skirt 223, by a conduit`238 and dizcharges through a conduit 2 39 ttecl with a check valve 24|) operable by a-solenoid 24| having leads 242. The check valve holds the suction while measurements are being made, and lis opened when the instrument is to be raised, by energization of the solenoid.

In all the apparatus described, the parts exposed to water are made of material appropriate for such exposure, such as bronze, painted steel or stainless steel. The apparatus useful with other gravity measuring instruments besides gravimeters, e. g. torsion balances. Y

What I claim is:

1. A remote controlled apparatus for su marine geophysical prospecting comprising in combination a submersible supporting container adapted to rest stationary on the floor of bodies of water, a geophysical instrument within the container, adjustable means for supporting the instrument at various inclinations in the container, driving means adapted on operation to move the instrument-supporting means with respect to the container, to level the instrument, electrical level-respective means located in ilxed relation to `the instrument, electrical level-exhibiting means in electrical vconnection with the levelresponsive means, electrical power means connected to the driving means for operation thereof, and control means for said power means.

2.V The apparatus of claim. 1 Awherein, the control means includes an electrical controlconduit extending above the surface of the body of water, and manual current-controllingmeans above the surface connected with the control conduit, for control of the power means.

3. A remote-controlled apparatus for geophysical prospecting under'water comprising. in

. combination a submersible casing adapted toA rest stationary on the iloor of bodies of water, a geophysical instrument within the casing, mounting means for the instrument permitting movement v thereof .adequate to level the instrument, electo move said. instrument, an electrical control cable for the power` means extending above the water, for controlling the v,supply of energy to CERTTEICATE oF CORRECTION. 5

Patent'no. 255ML 1 August 19, 19in.

1 THE'oDoRE B. PEPPER. n I'tis hereby certified that error appears in the printed specificati-on ofthe above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page )4, V second column, line hip., claimi., for "level-resijective" read --levelresponsive-m; and that the said Letters Patent should be readwi-th this Correction therein.. that the same may conform to the record of the case inthe/Patent Office.

- signed and. sealed this 16th day of september, A.. D. 19in.

Henry Van Arsdale; I

(Seal) Acting-Conmissioner of Patents, 

